New residential complex replacing the market and a parking garage at the hospital: what surprises might await Kyiv residents in 2025?
In Kyiv, scandals related to residential construction have long ceased to surprise anyone. Plans for skyscrapers on the sites of ancient structures from the times of Kyivan Rus, as seen in the case of construction in Kytayiv in the Holosiivskyi district. Development of a unique eco-park in Osokorky. The demolition of the historic estate of the Zelenskys in the city center for the construction of an elite residential complex… These and similar stories have persisted for years, and in most cases, despite community protests, victory remains with the developers and officials who protect them.
It seems that 2025 will not be a surprise year – information about plans for new scandalous developments appears almost daily, with many raising significant questions regarding compliance with land use and urban planning documentation.
"Telegraph" has gathered several interesting construction cases for Kyiv residents to watch this year.
Burn it all… Will Aliyev really build a residential complex instead of the "Obolon" market?
The "Obolon" market, the largest in the Obolon district of the capital, is very popular not only among locals — residents from various parts of Kyiv come here to buy groceries, clothes, or household goods. The reason lies in the market's convenient location – less than a minute's walk from the "Heroes of Dnipro" metro station. Moreover, prices are relatively low.
5 However, it cannot be said that all locals are pleased with the proximity. Crowds of people, a certain disorder of trading areas, and unauthorized trading at the market's walls have caused numerous complaints and calls for modernization.
Additionally, in recent years, the "Obolon" market has caught fire several times. A large-scale fire occurred in August 2013, destroying the largest pavilions of the market over an area of more than 600 square meters. Outraged traders, left without jobs and property, were convinced it was a deliberate arson. Another significant fire happened in 2021, when 8 pavilions burned down covering about 200 square meters. The most recent fire occurred just recently – in December 2024. According to the State Emergency Service, the fire covered 300 square meters of trading areas – pavilions burned both inside and around the market. In each case, it was reported that the causes of the fire would be investigated by law enforcement. However, to date, there have been no official statements regarding whether the fires were the result of malicious actions in the public domain.
In recent years, discussions about the modernization of the "Obolon" market have intensified. In September 2021, the Kyiv City Council approved a rather scandalous Detailed Plan for the Obolon District, which, among other things, included its reconstruction.
6 "According to the State Urban Planning Office, the area is planned for the reconstruction of the market with the placement of trade facilities, service buildings, and administrative structures. According to the latest cadastral plan dated 18.10.2016, the land plot 78:036:022 is leased for 25 years (until 20.02.2029) to the "Obolon" Market for reconstruction, maintenance, and operation. The area of the land plot according to the land registry as of 18.10.2016 is 4.3799 hectares.", the official document from the Kyiv City Council states.
According to the Detailed Plan, the market's reconstruction should be carried out without changing its functional purpose.
Meanwhile, the local public group "Life in Obolon," closely monitoring the developments in this Kyiv district, recently reported that large-scale demolition works have already begun at the "Obolon" market, specifically on one of the large pavilions that burned down back in 2021.
Later, this same public group published information about a modernization project for the market. However, according to the mentioned group, it does not just envision modernization but the construction of new residential buildings instead of the market, with a height of about 25 floors. To support this claim, the group published several render images, presumably from the construction project.
7 According to the portal, the project includes the construction of five or more high-rise buildings with a shopping mall and parking on the first floors. In total, the construction of 146,800 square meters is planned.
However, there is a clear discrepancy in the message: the indicated address of the market (Obolon Ave., 41) does not match its actual address (Heroes of Dnipro St., 41). Currently, "Telegraph" intends to reach out to the leadership of the Kyiv City State Administration for comments on whether they know anything about the construction project at the "Obolon" market and how they view the potential emergence of residential complexes instead of the market, which contradicts the detailed plan approved by the Kyiv City Council.
Interestingly, the designation of the land plot with cadastral number 8000000000:78:036:0022, where the "Obolon" market is located, is clearly defined: for the construction and maintenance of trade buildings. Currently, the plot is leased by the "Obolon" Market, whose beneficiary, according to YouControl, through "Obolon-Invest" LLC, is Vladislav Shevchenko. He is also the founder of "Ark" LLC. This company is notable for having rights to the LavinaMol shopping mall. Moreover, the mentioned shopping mall is part of the "Mandarin Plaza Group," which belongs to the well-known developer Vagif Aliyev.
A New City Between Kyiv and Brovary
Another interesting and unexpected construction project that Kyiv residents may face soon is the development of a massive new residential area on the Left Bank. This residential area, covering almost 100 hectares, is planned to be built on the site of the existing Kyiv poultry factory (TM "From a Good Hen"). The factory is located on Brovarsky Avenue, geographically between Kyiv and Brovary, but formally within the administrative borders of the capital.
8 According to Vitaliy Selik, head of the public organization "Kyiv Urban Studies Council," the construction project for the poultry factory was officially presented on January 24 by Alexey Shapovalov, head of the Transport Infrastructure Department of Kyivgenplan, during a presentation of the Transport Modeling of the Detailed Plan of the "Industrial Area along Brovarsky Avenue."
Selik notes that the area planned for the residential complex is twice the size of the "Comfort Town" residential complex, where about 20,000 people currently live.
9 "This means that potentially the new town will have 40-50 thousand residents — almost half the population of Brovary. In terms of area and population, this new area is comparable to Rusanivka," writes the head of the "Kyiv Urban Studies Council."
To ensure adequate traffic capacity on Brovarsky Avenue due to the emergence of the new residential area, two additional two-level interchanges will need to be built on the avenue. This could cost Kyiv and Brovary around 4 billion UAH, Selik emphasizes.
He also points out that the idea of constructing a new residential area has both positive and negative sides. The positive aspect is removing the "smelly" enterprise from the city, which occupies an disproportionately large area. Among the negative consequences are the overload of transport infrastructure and the complication of logistics for residents heading towards Brovary and Zazymia. Therefore, the expert believes it would be reasonable to consider constructing a new business cluster in this area — with offices and small manufacturing facilities.
"As an option, part of the territory could be allocated for a research center or university. This would allow residents of Brovary, the Left Bank of Kyiv, and Zazymia to work here. It would help balance traffic in Kyiv and relieve the capital's public transport. It would be better to connect the fabric of the Kyiv agglomeration," Selik suggests.
According to the State Land Cadastre, the land where the poultry factory is located falls under the category of agricultural land with the use type "for the operation and maintenance of buildings and structures of a complete property complex."
0 This means that it is impossible to build residential complexes on it without a change in designation. Moreover, the changes necessary for constructing a residential area there could take considerable time — up to several years. Especially considering that recently, with the approval of the Detailed Plan, it has become impossible to change the intended use of the plot (more on this later in the article). Additionally